Dubai Airport Suspends Flights After Loud Boom as Iran’s President Apologizes for Gulf Missile Attacks

Operations at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest hub for international travel, were temporarily suspended on Saturday after passengers sheltering inside the facility reported hearing a loud explosion during the widening Iran war. The Dubai Media Office said in a statement that all operations at the airport were halted for safety reasons, citing the need to protect passengers, airport staff and airline crews as the situation unfolded.

Flights bound for Dubai are holding after a reported drone/missile strike; FlightRadar24

Authorities did not immediately explain the cause of the boom, though the incident occurred as missile and drone attacks continued across parts of the Gulf region amid the ongoing conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel. According to reports, passengers at the airport had been sheltering inside train tunnels at the sprawling facility when the blast was heard.

Dubai Airport struck by an attack drone moments ago. pic.twitter.com/RFqeyRfHWr

— Iran Military Monitor ☫ (@IRIran_Military) March 7, 2026

Dubai’s flagship airline Emirates, which has been attempting to restore its global network after several days of disruption caused by regional airspace closures, also paused flights during the incident. The airport and airline have not confirmed whether the sound heard at the facility was linked to an interception or any damage near the airport.

BREAKING: A drone from Iran just hit the airport in Dubai. pic.twitter.com/fbVmGPgJtt

— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) March 7, 2026

The disruption came as Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a prerecorded address acknowledging the recent missile attacks launched by Iranian forces against neighboring Gulf states including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Pezeshkian apologized for the strikes and said Tehran would avoid targeting neighboring countries in the future unless Iran itself was attacked.

Iranian President Pezeshkian:

“The temporary leadership council approved yesterday that there will be no more attacks on neighboring countries and no missile launches, unless an attack originates from those countries against Iran.” pic.twitter.com/dulk95xOEO

— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) March 7, 2026

“I should apologize to the neighboring countries that were attacked by Iran,” Pezeshkian said, adding that future actions would focus on diplomacy rather than escalation. He suggested that miscommunication within Iran’s military ranks may have contributed to the attacks, though the remarks came after multiple strikes were reported earlier the same day across several Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets.

Video footage of Iranian drone striking Dubai airport, in another major escalation of aggression by the Islamic regime. UAE well within its rights under law to respond with force.

pic.twitter.com/17AvYmlNzt

— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) March 7, 2026

The Iranian president linked the confusion partly to the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike at the start of the war on February 28 along with several senior military and political figures. Pezeshkian indicated that the loss of top leadership may have temporarily disrupted command structures inside the armed forces.

UPDATE: Emirates Airlines resumed its operations this Saturday afternoon, as per Dubai Media Office. DXB added that it has partially resumed operations from today, 7 March, with some flights operating out of DXB and DWC. It requested customers to not travel to the airport unless they have been contacted by their airline that their flight is confirmed. Schedules continue to change, authorities said. Emirates said it has resumed operations and stated that the Passengers who have confirmed bookings for this afternoon’s flights may proceed to the airport. 

Read a Note on how we are covering the Iran War.